Semrush vs SpyFu
Both ladders below were read from the vendors’ own pricing pages, in this market, on the dates shown. Nothing is converted: what you see is what each page showed a reader here.
What each one is
Semrushsite ↗pricing ↗
A broad SEO and digital marketing suite covering keywords, competitor research, ads and content. Paid plans start at $139.95/mo (SEO); a free plan exists. The ladder we hold runs 4 paid tiers, topping out at $549/mo (Advanced).
SpyFusite ↗pricing ↗
A competitor research tool that shows the keywords and ads rivals have bought and ranked for, historically. Paid plans start at $39/mo (Basic); no free plan is published. The ladder we hold runs 3 paid tiers, topping out at $249/mo (DATA). We read the same $39/mo in every market we check, so this vendor does not price by country. It quotes USD here rather than local currency, so your bank sets the conversion.
The two ladders
Semrushsite ↗pricing ↗
read 2026-08-27 · USD
| Plan | Price | What the page says |
|---|---|---|
| SEO | $139.95/mo ($117.33 ↓) | 5 websites to monitor, 500 keywords tracked daily, basic keyword research and competitor analysis, Position Tracking, Site Audit. This is the only plan badged 'SEO' rather than 'SEO + AI Search'. |
| Starter | $199/mo ($165.17 ↓) | 5 websites to monitor, 500 keywords daily, keyword research and optimisation tools, competitor insights, MCP access. AI side: 50 prompts tracked daily, 1 domain for AI brand performance, 300 AI visibility reports per day, AI-ready Site Audit. |
| Pro+ | $299/mo ($248.17 ↓) | 15 websites to monitor. All Starter features plus deeper multi-market and multi-location coverage. |
| Advanced | $549/mo ($455.67 ↓) | All Pro+ features plus. The only plan whose call to action is 'Subscribe' rather than 'Try for free', with a custom-plan option beside it. |
SpyFusite ↗pricing ↗
read 2026-08-29 · USD
| Plan | Price | What the page says |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39/mo | |
| Pro + AI | $59/mo | |
| DATA | $249/mo |
Where they differ
- Cheapest way in: SpyFu at $39/mo, against Semrush at $139.95/mo. That is the entry price in this market on the dates shown, not a judgement about which suits you.
- Free plans: only Semrush publishes one — a plan priced at zero, not a trial.
- How far each ladder goes: Semrush tops out at $549/mo, SpyFu at $249/mo. A deeper ladder is not a worse deal — it is a bill that keeps climbing if you keep growing.
- SpyFu: We read the same $39/mo in every market we check, so this vendor does not price by country. It quotes USD here rather than local currency, so your bank sets the conversion.
How to choose in this category
- Entry prices are high and annual billing is where the discounts live.
- Tiers are data limits — keyword counts, tracked sites, report caps — more than features.
- Prices in this category move; check the change log before quoting one.